Military of the Earth Empire
The Military of the Earth Empire was the unified armed force of the new Earth Empire, consisting of an army of infantry, tanks, mecha suits, and an air force of airships. Originally assembled in 171 AG as a unity movement by ex-Zaofu captain and interim leader of the Earth Kingdom, Kuvira, the military had a diverse membership ranging from nationalist volunteers to forcibly conscripted ex-bandits. They also employed agents and spies lurking in the United Republic of Nations. With the kingdom descending into chaos since Earth Queen Hou-Ting's death in 171 AG, Kuvira sought to reunite the war-torn nation and restore order with military force. By 174 AG, the army had united all of the Earth Kingdom. During Wu's coronation as Earth King, Kuvira claimed the Earth Kingdom to be no more and renamed it the Earth Empire under her rule, which she would forcefully defend with her army. Believing the United Republic of Nations' land to have been stolen from the Earth Empire by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko following the Hundred Year War, Kuvira marched her army in to the republic and attempted to annex it. After her defeat by Avatar Korra, however, she surrendered and ordered her soldiers to stand down. The Earth Empire's activities ceased and its land was returned to Earth Kingdom control. However, the empire is still active now under the command of the empire's formal corporal, Kano. History Synopsis Army Infantry Kuvira's infantry consisted of enlisted soldiers, guards who defected from Zaofu, and conscripted ex-bandits, including earthbenders as well as nonbenders. However, according to Suyin, for many their loyalty was either bought or coerced Uniform The official military colors of Kuvira's army were green, viridian, and metallic gray and the uniforms reflected those. There were small differences depending on the position in the army, but the uniforms were predominantly dark green, with a lighter green front panel on the jacket. A gray belt centered the uniform around the waist. The pants were made from a tight fabric in a shade of olive green and the boots were black and sturdy. Officers donned metal shoulder plates and wore their chevrons on the left arm. A sergeant sported two stripes on the cuffs, one at the top, one at the bottom, and an additional trim on the front panel of his jacket while a corporal only sported a single stripe on top of his cuffs. The number of chevrons appearing on the left sleeve of an officer or on the left arm of his mecha suits also indicated his rank: one for a private, two for a corporal, and three for a sergeant. Kuvira did not wear any rank insignia other than her unique uniform while Baatar Jr. wore a unique and modified sergeant insignia as her second-in-command. Wreck wears that same attire just like Baatar Jr. did, and Kano wears a green, double-breasted long cape to go with the variation of his attire. The infantry also wore helmets and a metalbending soldier additionally wore gloves, a face-covering metal mask with green-glasses goggles, and metal bands around the arms and calves, as well as spools with metal cables on their hips and metal shoulder plates. A regular foot soldier merely wore the helmet with a piece of fabric covering the lower half of the face. Mecha suits pilots were donned in a jumpsuit that is colored in different shades of green and their suits were colored depending on the rank of its pilot: gray for privates, green for corporals, and black for sergeants. Equipment and Weaponry Kuvira's army utilized a wide variety of heavy vehicles and advanced technology to help them achieve their goals. *Airships - Her army also possessed several airships, similar to the ones used in Zaofu. *High-speed maglev train - Designed by Varrick to serve as Kuvira's personal transport that travels at high speeds on a rail. It housed many of her soldiers and their equipment. *Metal strips - Metalbenders used strips of metal from their uniforms to attack and bind their opponents. *Mecha Suits - Thanks to the modifications made by Varrick, Kuvira's army had hundreds of mecha suits equipped with a wide array of weapons and abilities. *Spirit energy cannon - A piece of heavy artillery carried around by an enormous mecha suit that shot spirit energy beams powerful enough to blast a hole in a mountain. *Tanks - The army also had several tanks, reminiscent of the Fire Nation's tundra tanks, at its disposal. List of Known Members *Kano Trivia * See Also * Category:Military Category:Organizations Category:Important Term